Coronavirus Lockdown 2021 Live News: Have to immediately stop ’emerging second wave’, go for micro-containment zones, PM Modi to CMs

The Indian badminton contingent has been cleared to participate in the All England Championships after the players, who had tested positive for COVID-19, returned negative in retests conducted by the governing body (BWF) on Wednesday. Three Indian shuttlers and a support staff had tested positive on Tuesday while a few were awaiting confirmation on their inconclusive samples, leaving the players without much practice ahead of the tournament. 'No positive tests in the team anyone. We are ready for All England,' wrote India's Danish foreign coach Mathais Boe in a post in Instagram. - PTI

Hungary announced a record number of COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday as a powerful surge of the pandemic put an unprecedented strain on the country's health care. Health officials announced 195 deaths in the last 24 hours, breaking the previous peak of 193 in early December. The number of patients being treated for the disease rose to nearly 10,300, also a record, and nearly three times the number of those hospitalized in early February when the latest surge began. Hungary has the seventh-highest COVID-19 deaths per 1 million inhabitants in the world, according to Johns Hopkins University. - AP

It has now become necessary for us to become pro-active. The option of making micro-containment zones wherever necessary, we should not bring leniency: Prime Minister Narendra Modi tells all CMs - ANI

It is a matter of contemplation that why is there less testing in some areas only. Why is there less vaccination in these areas? I think it's a time of test for good governance...Our confidence should not turn into overconfidence. Our success should not turn into negligence: PM - ANI

We don't have to bring the public into panic mode. We don't have to bring a situation where there is an atmosphere of fear. We have to free the people off difficulties by taking some precautions and initiatives: PM Narendra Modi tells all the CMs. - ANI

We will have to immediately stop the emerging second wave of Corona and for this, we will have to take quick and decisive steps: Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the meeting with all Chief Ministers. - ANI 

"Most of the COVID-affected countries in world had to face several waves of Corona. In our country too, cases have suddenly started increasing in some states...CMs have also expressed concern...Test positivity rate in Maharashtra & MP is very high & number of cases also rising," PM Modi says at the meeting with Chief Ministers. - ANI

Tara Sutaria on Wednesday said she has tested negative for COVID-19 amid reports that the actor had contracted the virus. There was speculation that the 25-year-old actor had tested positive for COVID-19 last week. Sutaria, however, never confirmed the reports. Taking to Instagram Stories, the "Student of the Year 2" actor gave a health update to fans and thanked them for their wishes. "Thank you all for your concern and love. I am COVID negative and healthy! Be safe and well.. Lots of love to you all," she wrote.- PTI

With the addition of 1,271 new cases of coronavirus, the tally in Maharashtra's Aurangabad district has gone up to 60,100, an official said on Wednesday. Besides these new cases reported on Tuesday, seven more people also succumbed to the viral infection, raising the death toll in the district to 1,351, he said. So far, 52,073 people have recovered from the infection, while there are 6,676 active COVID-19 cases in the district at present, he said. - PTI

Sri Lanka will continue to use the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines despite its suspension in some countries over reports that the doses were causing blood clot-related complications, a government spokesman said on Wednesday. Some nations, mostly European, suspended the use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, which also has a tie-up with the Serum Institute of India, after some reports of blood clotting. Ramesh Pathirana, the Cabinet co-spokesman, said that the vaccine halted in certain European countries was limited to one batch of the vaccine and Sri Lanka had not received doses from the same batch.- PTI

Odisha's COVID-19 caseload on Wednesday mounted to 3,38,405 after 82 more people tested positive for the infection, a health department official said. The new cases were detected in 20 of the state's 30 districts, with 48 reported from different quarantine centres and the remaining 34 local contact cases. Mayurbhanj district recorded the highest of 11 new cases followed by Khurda (9), Bargarh and Sundergarh (7 each). Two districts Boudh and Malkangiri are COVID-19 free as no new cases are detected in their jurisdiction since last two days.- PTI

The UK variant of the novel coronavirus spread rapidly in care homes in England in a span of two weeks between November and December last year, reflecting its spread across the country, according to a new study which calls for advanced surveillance systems to monitor the evolving virus. The findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, revealed that the proportion of infections among care home staff and residents caused by the new variant rose from 12 per cent in the week beginning 23 November to 60 per cent of positive cases just two weeks later, in the week beginning 7 December. - PTI

Delhi residents visiting the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar have been advised to undergo RT-PCR test for COVID-19 on their return and self-monitor their health. In an advisory, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has asked people attending the congregation to take extra precautions and follow COVID-19-related instructions issued by authorities. A sizeable number of pilgrims from Delhi are expected to visit the mela beginning on April 1, it said. - PTI

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati called for providing coronavirus vaccine to the poor free of charge, ahead of a meeting between the prime minister and chief ministers on the pandemic situation and the ongoing inoculation drive on Wednesday. In a tweet in Hindi, Mayawati said that if the coronavirus vaccination is expedited by the central and state governments as a national policy, it would be better.- PTI

West Bengal and Chhattisgarh Chief Ministers will not be attending the virtual meeting chaired by PM Modi on the Covid situation. While no official statement has been issued from Nabanna, reports suggest that Mamata Banerjee has conveyed that she has several programmes lined-up and she may not be available for the virtual strategy meet. It should be noted that West Bengal will go to the polls for the first phase in 10 days from now. No statement has either been issued by Bhupesh Baghel's office. 

Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu continue to report a high number of daily COVID-19 cases, accounting for 71.10 per cent of the 28,903 new infections, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday. It said 83.91 per cent of the new cases are from Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Maharashtra alone accounts for 61.8 per cent of the daily new cases with 17,864 cases. It is followed by Kerala with 1,970 while Punjab reported 1,463 new cases, the ministry said. Kerala is reporting a consistently declining trend over the last one month. - PTI

Former President Donald Trump again urged people to be vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, saying he would recommend vaccination to ‘a lot of people that don't want to get it, and a lot of those people voted for me.’ In an interview Tuesday night on Fox News, Trump acknowledged that people were free to decide for themselves whether they would be vaccinated against COVID-19. - AP

Puducherry clocked 52 fresh cases of coronavirus during the last 24 hours ending 10 am on Wednesday, taking the total positives to 40,120. No death was reported and the toll remained 673. The 52 new cases were identified at the end of examination of 1290 samples, a release from Director of Health and Family Welfare services S Mohan Kumar said. While Puducherry region accounted for 43 new cases out of the 52, Karaikal reported three, Yanam one and Mahe five. Eighteen cases were discharged from hospitals during last twenty four hours. Fatality and recovery rates were 1.68 percent and 97.79 percent respectively, the Director said. - PTI

A wider lockdown in the Philippines cannot be ruled out if its surge in COVID-19 infections continues, its health minister said on Wednesday, as authorities announced strict curbs on international arrivals to arrest the virus spread. The government is facing renewed criticism over its handling of the epidemic after a jump in coronavirus cases - nearly 20,000 in the past four days - a year after it imposed one of the world's strictest and longest lockdowns. Officials attribute the spike to a relaxing of some mobility restrictions to allow people to return to work and revive the economy after a 9.5% contraction last year, Southeast Asia's deepest economic slump. - Reuters

Three coronavirus patients died in a hospital fire in the Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, on Wednesday, officials said. The patients, who were using ventilators in the hospital's intensive-care unit, died after the fire triggered an evacuation, said Nazmul Haque, director of the hospital. It was not immediately clear what caused the blaze, a fire service official said. Hospitals are struggling to deal with a fresh spike in coronavirus infections this month in Bangladesh, which has reported 559,168 cases and 8,571 deaths. Lax regulations and poor enforcement have often been blamed for large fires in the South Asian nation that have killed hundreds of people in recent years. - Reuters

Ukraine registered a record daily high of 289 coronavirus-related deaths over the past 24 hours, the health minister Maksym Stepanov said on Wednesday. The previous record was registered on Dec. 11, when the coronavirus killed 285 Ukrainians.A record-high number of Ukrainians were taken to hospital with COVID-19 on Tuesday - 4,887 people, almost 15% more than the previous record of 4,250 people registered on March 11, Stepanov said on Facebook. The number of hospitalisations did not exceed 2,000 during the peak of the pandemic in late 2020, but began to rise in late winter during the second wave of infections. - Reuters

Gujarat will start imposing night curfew in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot and Surat beginning from tonight. These measures will remain in force till March 31st. The officials say that there will be a review later in case the surge subsides. News agency ANI says that all parks, gardens have been shut down in Ahmedabad from immediate effect. Kankaria Lake and Zoo will also remain closed, the news agency said on Twitter.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands COVID-19 tally rose to 5,032 as one more person tested positive for the virus in the union territory in the last 24- hours, a health department official said on Wednesday. The archipelago now has three active COVID-19 cases and all three patients are in South Andaman district, he said. One more person recovered from COVID-19 on Tuesday, taking the total number of recoveries to 4,967. The COVID-19 death toll remained at 62 as no new fatality due to the infection was reported in the last 24 hours. - PTI

Odisha has requested the National Testing Agency (NTA) to change the schedule for the NEET UG 2021 Exam. According to the PTI report, the Odisha government has urged the National Testing Agency (NTA) to conduct the All- India NEET UG 2021 examinations in all the 30 districts of the state instead of selected seven cities. The request was made by Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, P K Mohapatra in view of the COVID-19 pandemic situation still prevailing in the state. The All India NEET UG Examination is conducted by the NTA for admission to MBBS/BDS courses and other undergraduate medical courses in approved/recognized Medical/Dental and other Colleges/ Institutes in India. - PTI

The only thing that can keep you a bit relieved would be the national recovery rate. According to the latest health ministry data, the national recovery rate as of March 17 stands at 96.56%. 

Thane has added 1,359 new cases of coronavirus, raising the infection count in the Maharashtra district to 2,78,928, an official said on Wednesday. These new cases were reported on Tuesday, he said. The virus also claimed the lives of six more persons, pushing the death toll in the district to 6,349, he said. The COVID-19 mortality rate in the district is 2.28 per cent, he said. So far, 2,62,360 patients have recuperated from the infection in the district, which reflects a recovery rate of 94.06 per cent. - PTI

According to the latest figures updated by the Centre, there are 2,34,406 active cases in India. Several states are now in the risk zone. States such as Karnataka have reported over 1,000 cases in the last 24 hours.

The Philippine government has decided to temporarily ban the entry of foreigners and limit the entry of returning Filipinos at Manila's international airport to 1,500 daily as it struggles to contain an alarming surge in coronavirus infections. A government body dealing with the pandemic said the monthlong travel restrictions would start Saturday and aim to prevent the spread into the country of coronavirus strains from other countries which are believed to be more contagious. Among those to be allowed limited entry are homebound Filipino workers. Philippine Airlines said it would announce some flight cancellations to comply with the temporary restriction. - AP

Arunachal Pradesh reported one new COVID-19 case, pushing the total coronavirus caseload in the north-eastern state to 16,841, a senior health official said here on Wednesday. The new case was detected from Papumpare district through rapid antigen test, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said. Arunachal Pradesh currently has two active COVID-19 cases, while 16,783 people have recovered from the disease so far, he said. A total of 56 people have died due to the contagion so far, the SSO said. - PTI

New evidence that it may be safe for schools to seat students 3 feet apart - half of the previous recommended distance - could offer a way to return more of the nation's children to classrooms with limited space. Even as more teachers receive vaccinations against COVID-19, social distancing guidelines have remained a major hurdle for districts across the US Debate around the issue flared last week when a study suggested that masked students can be seated as close as 3 feet apart with no increased risk to them or teachers. Published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, the research looked at schools in Massachusetts, which has backed the 3-foot guideline for months. Illinois and Indiana are also allowing 3 feet of distance, and other states such as Oregon are considering doing the same. - AP

BJP leader and former Union minister Dilip Gandhi died at a hospital in New Delhi on Wednesday, family sources said. He was 69. Gandhi had served as the Minister of State for Shipping in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led central government. He recently tested positive for coronavirus and was undergoing treatment for multiple ailments, the sources said. The BJP leader, who started his career as a corporator in late 80s, had won the Lok Sabha elections three times since 1999 from Ahmednagar in Maharashtra. He was denied ticket in the 2019 general polls. - PTI

Coronavirus infections are rising exponentially in Germany, an expert at the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases said on Tuesday, putting at risk plans to lift the lockdown and revive the economy. The number of cases per 100,000 reported on Tuesday was 83.7, up from 68 a week ago, and the RKI has said that metric could reach 200 by the middle of next month. Germany is in a third wave of the pandemic, driven by an easing of restrictions in recent weeks just as a more transmissible variant has spread, Dirk Brockmann, an epidemiologist at the RKI, told Germany's ARD television. - Reuters

Mexico has registered 1,278 new confirmed cases of coronavirus and 175 additional fatalities, bringing the totals in the country to 2,169,007 cases and 195,119 deaths, health ministry data showed on Tuesday. The government says the actual number of infected people and deaths is likely significantly higher than official figures reflect due to a lack of widespread testing. - Reuters

US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday the United States is in talks with several countries about who will get any extra doses of COVID-19 vaccines. "We’re talking with several countries already," Biden told reporters as he left the White House to promote his coronavirus stimulus package in Pennsylvania. "I’ll let you know that very shortly." Biden has promised to make sure every American has access to a vaccine before giving any to other nations. He did not identify the countries. - Reuters

French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Tuesday that time had come for additional coronavirus restrictions in the greater Paris region as the country enters a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. France is grappling with a steady rise of new cases, leading to a heavy strain on the hospital system, especially in the capital where infections have surged. French health authorities reported 29,975 new cases nationwide on Tuesday, a 4.5% weekly jump, the sharpest in a month and a half. - Reuters

Japanese companies are set to offer the lowest wage increases in eight years as labour talks wrap up on Wednesday, in a sign the COVID-19 pandemic is putting an end to the benefits brought on by former premier Shinzo Abe's stimulus policies. Over the past seven years, major firms have offered pay rises of 2% or more in annual "shunto" spring wage negotiations, in a nod to government efforts to eradicate two decades of grinding deflation. Abe's policies, dubbed "Abenomics", targeted wages among other reforms to help reflate the economy. The country's chronic labour shortage from a rapidly ageing population also prodded companies to offer higher salaries to lure talent. But the coronavirus pandemic has dealt a blow particularly to service-sector firms such as restaurants, transportation, hotels, leisure and tourism, forcing them to prioritise job security over annual base pay increases, analysts say. - Reuters

Brazil on Tuesday registered a record 2,841 deaths in the past 24 hours, highlighting the severity of the coronavirus outbreak in the country, just as a new health minister is set to take the helm in the next few days. In total, 282,127 people have died in Brazil. Cases rose on Tuesday by 83,926 to 11,603,535. - Reuters

The latest bulletin released by the Union Health Ministry shows that India registered 28,903 Covid-19 infections as on 8:00 am on Wednesday. The figure is 18% higher than yesterday. In last 24 hours, 188 people died due to Covid-related complications.

Britain's Prince Charles on Wednesday criticised those lobbying against coronavirus vaccines, saying they can "protect and liberate" some of society's most vulnerable members. In a wide-ranging article for the Future Healthcare Journal in which he called for an integrated approach to healthcare, the heir to the throne also took a swipe at those speaking out against COVID-19 shots. "Who would have thought ... that in the 21st century that there would be a significant lobby opposing vaccination, given its track record in eradicating so many terrible diseases and its current potential to protect and liberate some of the most vulnerable in our society from coronavirus?" he wrote. The prince, 72, who tested positive for the coronavirus himself in March last year, and other senior members of the royal family have been vociferous in their support of the shots. - Reuters